Many products are packaged in paperboard packaging. Paperboard provides a relatively light weight and inexpensive packaging material while still protecting sensitive products, such as food, from damage.
In an effort to reduce the impact of the use of paperboard materials on forests, some packaging is made partly or entirely from cellulose from recycled materials. However, cellulose from recycled materials loses strength each time it is recycled, resulting in a paperboard that can have reduced bending stiffness compared to paperboard made from virgin cellulose. In some cases, some bending stiffness can be regained by increasing the thickness of paperboard made from recycled materials or adding virgin cellulose.